By Sean Jones: Teofimo Lopez has announced that he’s vacating all his lightweight titles after defending it this Saturday night on November 27th against George Kambosos Jr. at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Although Teofimo (16-0, 12 KOs) said, he would stay at 135 long enough to face WBC lightweight champion, Devin Haney, to decide a true undisputed champion for the weight class.
Teo has now changed his mind and will be moving up to 140 to dethrone the four-belt champion, Josh Taylor.
Teofimo, 24, says what made him change his mind about sticking around at 135 to face Haney (26-0, 15 KOs) is that he’s been fighting at lightweight for the last eight years and that the World Boxing Council made Devin email champion.
In other words, Haney didn’t fight for his WBC lightweight title; it was given to him outside of the ring.
Teofimo states that he’s had all the titles since 2020, and none of the other top lightweights tried to step up a fight with him.
Teofimo vacating ALL his titles
“No, a bout with Haney is possible. The whole thing is they got to see me,” said Teofimo to Boxing Social when asked if he’s now moving up to 140 rather than staying at 135 to face Devin.
“I’ve been stating at this weight [lightweight] for too long. I’m starting to realize some things, man.
“First of all, you didn’t really earn the belt [WBC] or fight for the belt,” Teofimo said about Haney being made email champion by the World Boxing Council. “You [Haney] got it delivered through email.
“Second, I’ve been at this weight for eight years now. I’ve been waiting for a whole year, two years, just to get a call from any of those guys. They haven’t presented themselves, so I feel like nobody wants to come to me because I’ve got all the belts,” said Teofimo.
“So, maybe if I drop all the belts, let’s see how confident they all get then. Let me get that fight [against Haney] at 140. Yeah, come see me at 140. Why am I going to fight somebody that hasn’t even earned the belt? He hasn’t even fought for a world belt,” said Teofimo.
If Haney wants a fight with Teofimo now, he’s going to need to move up to 140 and face him without any belts being on the line.
Of course, Haney can always wait until after Teofimo faces undisputed light welterweight champion Josh Taylor, and if he beats him, he can fight him with all four belts on the line.
Haney didn’t earn his titles – Teofimo
“He doesn’t even know what it feels like to earn it. You got it delivered via email, bro,” said Teofimo. “I earned all these belts, man. For everybody that is supporting Devin Haney, you fake too. I don’t like y’all. What do you think I’m going to do?
“I’m ball-hogging this one. I ain’t going to pass it to none of y’all, and that’s what I’m looking forward to, man,” said Teofimo about him vacating his IBF, WBA, WBC Franchise & WBO lightweight titles.
Haney may not like it, but Teofimo is speaking facts when he brings up the truth about being an email champion at lightweight.